Republic. I like the sound of the word. It means people can live free, talk free, go or come, buy or sell, be drunk or sober, however they choose. Some words can give you a feeling that makes your heart warm. Republic is one of those words. - John Wayne

Some thoughts on Tom DeLayby Cordeiro
First off, let me state for the record, I don't know Tom DeLay. I've never had the opportunity to make his acquaintance. He doesn't represent my district so I can't vote for or against him.

Now that full disclosure has been satisfied...

The MSM is going great guns over some alleged, and I mean alleged, wrong doings by Mr. DeLay having to do with some trip he took to Russia a year or so ago that may or may not have been improperly financed by "special interest groups".

By the reports available today in the press, you'd think US Marshalls were waiting outside DeLay's house office ready to frog march him out of the Capitol Building. Mind you, these same people are still camped out outside the White House waiting for the same fate to befall Karl Rove. For them, its been a very, very long winter.

Tom DeLay has been accused of many things. He has been "admonished" by the House Ethics Committee three times over the past few years. I don't know what for - I have better things to research.

What I do know, and with very little effort was able to verify is that US Representatives and Senators take a lot of trips. Different people pay for them to be in different places. If you bother to look, Democrats made about 54% of the privately paid trips over the past few years. Funny how you don't see any MSM outcry over their taking the majority of trips despite them being the minority party.

Why the focus on DeLay? Dems don't like him. After his successful effort to redistrict Texas so that the Texan Congressional Delegation reflected the voting trends of Texas, Dems have nothing short of seething rage when it comes to DeLay.

They are unable to defeat him at the ballot box (despite what left leaning pollsters might want you to think about his re-election bid in 2006) so they are left with up until now vain attempts to remove him from power via the time tested means of character assassination.

So, dear reader, here is the burning question of the day:

Is there anything other than unsubstantiated, politically motivated, baseless accusations regarding Tom DeLay? Is there an indictment (and no, I don't count the stuff coming forth from the hatchet man of a DA in Texas) or any other official charge of misconduct?

Damn, those are loud crickets chirping.

Here endeth the lesson.

UPDATE: Much has also been made about DeLay family members being paid or otherwise renumerated for services relating to DeLay. Well, it turns out such a practice is not uncommon in Washington, especially as it relates to Nevada's Senior Senator, Dusty Harry.

The Crickets are deafening.

UPDATE: Representative Bernie Sanders, a Socialist from Vermont, when faced with evidence he uses much the same practices as does Tom DeLay, took offense at being grouped with such a radioactive partner in "crime". Well, I agree with the Bennington Banner. Methinks the Congressman doth protest far too much.
- Posted by Cordeiro @ 4/12/2005 12:22:00 PM | Permanent Link

5 Comment(s):

Are those crickets deafening because everyone, including fellow Republicans, know DeLay is dirty?

Does this sound like Bill Clinton and that crazy Kenneth Starr all over again?

So far you've got Chris Shays, to whom few people in the caucus actually listen, calling for DeLay to step aside. Rick Santorum says he should answer questions. That's a pretty broad definition of "everyone".

"And, just in case you forgot, Ken Starr actually indicted people and sent a whole slew of Clintonites up the river. All your team has been able to do thus far is throw around accusations. "

And thank God for that! I'd hate to see a witch-hunt either Republican or Democrat on Capitol Hill.

As for dirty... I don't like many of the Democrats on the list you provided anyway, but even right-wing conservative organizations hate DeLay. I could link you to over fifty of them, but my favorite one is this one.

Ok, this is now bordering on the pathetic. You can link me to over fifty "right-wing" conservative groups? Ok. Go right ahead. But if the one you sent me is the best you've got, don't bother. That site has about as much pull with us right wingers as does Howard Dean.

The Religious Freedom Coalition of the Southeast doesn't have its own domain name, is hosted on a domain dedicated to Welsh Witchcraft, and makes little effort to hide its leftward slant. In short, its about as real as is your Presidential Intern.